Israel's Jerusalem mayor wrestles Palestinian attacker in street

JERUSALEM, Feb 22 (Reuters) - Israel's mayor of Jerusalem
and his security guard wrestled a Palestinian attacker to the
ground near city hall on Sunday after an ultra-Orthodox Jew was
stabbed with a knife at a busy intersection.

Security camera footage showed mayor Nir Barkat, in a white
shirt, walk towards the suspect together with his bodyguard and
lunge at him, pinning him down on a pedestrian crossing before
others took charge and detained the man.

Before Barkat intervened, the distant but distinct
black-and-white footage showed a man waving his arm in a
stabbing motion and making contact with one individual and
attempting to stab others as they waited to cross the road. When
they realised what had happened, the pedestrians ran clear.

The stab victim was rushed to hospital but was not seriously
hurt, medical officials said. Police said the suspect, an
18-year-old Palestinian, did not have authorisation to reside in
Israel.

"My bodyguard took out his weapon and when he aimed at the
terrorist, the terrorist dropped his knife and we immediately
tackled him on the ground to make sure that he cannot continue
with the terror attack," Barkat told reporters shortly
afterwards.

Barkat, 55, served as an officer in the paratroopers'
brigade. A former high-tech entrepreneur, he was elected as
Israel's mayor of Jerusalem in 2008.

Jerusalem has been the scene of many attacks in recent
years. Most recently, late last year tensions rose again over
access to a holy site in an Israeli-annexed part of the city
where al-Aqsa mosque now stands and Biblical Jewish temples once
stood.

Eleven Israelis have been killed, including four rabbis and
a policeman stabbed and shot by Palestinians in a Jerusalem
synagogue. Twelve Palestinians have also been killed, including
several of those who carried out the attacks.

Israel annexed East Jerusalem, in whose walled Old City the
compound is located, as part of its capital. This status is not
recognised abroad. Many world powers support the Palestinians'
goal of setting up their own future capital in East Jerusalem.
(Writing by Ori Lewis; Editing by Stephen Powell)